Harvest Home Parade ready to march through Cheviot

William B. Khepp, a town crier, got last year’s Harvest Home Parade started. Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Cheviot-Westwood, the 57th annual parade begins this year at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in Cheviot.
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CHEVIOT – Get out those lawn chairs and prepare to stake a claim of prime curbside real estate along Harrison Avenue or North Bend Road.

Scores of West Siders will once again descend upon Cheviot for the annual Harvest Home Parade. The parade begins marching at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4.

As always, it starts at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Bridgetown Road, makes its way up Harrison, hangs a left on North Bend Road and ends at Harvest Home Park.

“We have a great parade lineup this year, with more entries than last year,” said Kiwanis Club of Cheviot-Westwood member Dave Backer, longtime chairman of the parade.

He said this is the 57th annual installment of the parade, which kicks off the 155th annual Harvest Home Fair. The fair opens Thursday night after the parade and runs through Sunday, Sept. 7.

This year’s theme is “We Focus on Helping Children,” Backer said.

“That’s basically the Kiwanis Club’s main goal, all throughout the world,” he said. “We are all about supporting programs to help children.”

While the Kiwanis Club of Cheviot-Westwood never divulges the number of entries in the parade, he said it has 10 divisions.

Each division is led by an area high school marching band, and he said this year’s entrants include all the traditional favorites that make the parade such a hit on the West Side.

Members of the Syrian Shrine will entertain the crowd with its clowns and miniature vehicles, area Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops will march, local police and fire departments will sound the sirens on their cruisers and fire engines, veterans groups will receive due recognition from the crowds, dance teams and cheerleading squads will perform as they march, community organizations and businesses will show off their decorated floats, Model A Ford club members will drive antique cars and area politicians will wave to constituents.

Backer said a special entry at the front of this year’s parade is Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes and a group resembling the Fab Four. The Kiwanis Club is celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles performing in Cincinnati as part of this year’s fair. Rhodes helped bring the group to town in 1964.

The grand marshal of this year’s parade is Kiwanis member and Green Township resident Edward Burke.

“He’s very deserving of the honor,” Backer said. “We were happy to name Ed as the grand marshal this year.”

Burke served as an Army officer in World War II and commanded a tank battalion during the D-Day invasion at Normandy. He rose to the rank of an Army Major during the war and was awarded dozens of medals and commendations for his service, including the Silver Star for gallantry in action.

Burke said he typically watches the parade from North Bend Road, but he looks forward to riding in a convertible during it this year.

“I just hope we have good weather,” he said.

It was quite a surprise to learn he was chosen as this year’s grand marshal, he said.

“I have a lot of friends who have been the grand marshal before,” Burke said. “It is an honor and one I never expected.”

The parade and fair provide an enjoyable opportunity to meet people, particularly friends you haven’t seen in a while, he said.

“Everyone always seems to gather for the parade and fair,” he said. “It’s a great tradition.”

Backer said he has terrific committee of volunteers who help him organize the parade each year, and they’ll start meeting soon after this year’s parade to plan the next one.

He said they work hard to put on a great parade each year because they’ve seen the excitement of those participating in the parade and the feeling of community spirit among everyone gathered to watch it.

“With all the turmoil there is in the world today, it’s neat to see happy people come together and enjoy the event,” he said.

Your turn

Tell us about your memories of the Harvest Home Parade. What are your favorite parade entries? What do you enjoy most about the parade?